Method of producing catalyzers



Patented Aplj. 19, 1921.

A. A. BACKHAUS.

METHODOF PRODUCINQ CATALYZERS.

APPLICATION man JUNE 15 1,375,345..

ARTHUR A. BACKHAUS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSI(':1N'OII3 TO U. S. INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL C0., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.l

METHOD or rnonUcINe c a'raivznns.

nefasta.

Application led June 15,

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. BACK- HAUs, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Producing Catalyzers, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to a process of producing catalyzers which are used in the production of aldehydes.

The object of my invention 1s to provide a process by which catalyzers of the above type may be advantageously made and by which etlicient catalyzers may be obtained to bring about the production of aldehydes, as for example, acetaldeh de, by passing alcohol over a catalyzer of t is character while heated. f

Another' object of my invention is to provide a process of producing catalyzers containing copper to be used for the production of aldehydesin this way.

Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description thereof contained hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of being carried out in-many diiierent ways, I shall describe hereinafter only one way of carrying out the same, and shall show only one form of apparatus used in connection with the same in the accompanying drawing, in which- The figure is a vertical section of a catalyzer made in accordance with my invention.

In carrying out-my process, I fill a tube 1 with a large number of permeable'and substantially parallel disks 2, which may be of copper, nickel, chromium or iron gauze and which may be contiguous with one another or separated by rings 3, as desired.-

The metal is a very good conductor of heat, and in this way the reaction temperature may be readily carried to all parts of the catalyzer tube 1, with which the disks are shown as contacting.

In order to make the gauze disks 2 active, so as to bring about the change from alcohol to acetaldehyde, the surfaces of the disks 2 are, in the present embodiment ofmy invention, corroded by passing a current of air and acetic acid vapors through an inlet tube 4 at one end of the catalyzer tube and out through a tube 5 at the other end 'of said Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

191s. semi Nu. 240,223.

tube. Other methods for the formation of the acetate in situ may be employed.

After the metal iny the gauze disks 2 has been corroded by the formation of the acetate, the latter is partially decomposed into the oxid by heating the copper catalyzer tube l to a temperature of 300 C. or higher 1n any suitable manner and then reducmg the oxid n situ by passing a current Aof hydrogen into the catalyzer tube l and heating the same to a temperature of 300 C.

In this way a very finely divided deposit of themetal is carried by the meshes ofthe metal disks 2, and thereafter, when a current of vapors of an alcohol, such for example as ethyl alcohol, is passed through the tube 1 while heated to a temperature of approximately 300o C., the finelydivided metal causes the alcohol to be broken down into acetaldehyde and hydrogen, which may* be conveyed away and separated in any suitable manner.

During the Jformation of the acetaldehyde, the heating of'the catalyzer tube 1 may be very effectively carried out by the external application of heat, which is readily conveyed to all portions of the catalytic material by reason of the fact that the latter is carried upon the disks of metal gauze 2, which form very efectiveconductors of heat. In this way the acetaldehyde will be.

very uniformly formed Jfrom the alcohol vapors. l

e While I have described my invention above in detail, I wish it to be'understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1. The process which comprises producing a catalyst by treating a copper body to form a copper salt thereon and then depositing finely divided reduced copper Jfrom said salt upon the same.

2. The process which comprises producing a catalyst by treating a body of copper gauze to form a copper salt thereon, the

treatment being .effected by acetic acid vapors and air, and then depositing finely divided reduced copper from said salt upon the same.

3. The process which comprises producing a catalyst by treating a copper body to form a copper salt thereon, the treatment 2 i f nausea beiiig effected by acetic acid vapors'and air,

and then depositing finely divided reduced copper from said salt upon the same by igniting to form an oXid from said salt and reducing the oxid with a current ofI hy-.

drogen.

4. The process which comprises producing a catalyst by introducing av plurality of disks of copper gauze into a copper tube,f

treating said disks to form a copper .salt thereon, and then depositing finely divided reduced copper from said salt upon the same. i

5. The process Which'comprises producing a catalyst by introducing a plurality of disks of copper gauze into a copper tube, treating said disks to form a copper salt thereon, the treatment being effected by acetic acid vapors and air, and then depositing finely divided reduced copper from said salt upon the same.. Y

6. The process which comprises producing a catalyst by introducing a plurality of disks of copper gauze into a copper tube, treating said disks to form a copper salt thereon, the treatment being effected by acetic acid vapors and air, and then depositing finelydivided reduced copper from said salt upon the same by igniting to form an oxid from said salt and reducing lthe oXid with a current of hydrogen.

7. The process which comprises producingY a catalyst by treating a body of copper gauze to form a copper salt thereon and then depositing the finely divided reduced metal Jfrom said salt upon the same.

8. The process which comprises produc- I ing a catalyst by treating a body of metal gauze to form a salt thereon, the treatment being eected by'acetic acid vapors and air, and then depositing the finely divided; reduced metal from said salt upon the same.

9. The process Which comprises produci ing a catalyst byitreating a metal body to form a salt thereon, the treatmentbeing effected byacetic acid vapors and air, and

then depositing the finely divided reduced `have hereunto set m ing a catalyst by introducing a`plurality of disks of metal gauze into a tube, treating said disks to form a' salt thereon, the treatment-being effected by acetic' acid vapors and air,and then depositin the finely divided reduced metal from said salt upon the same.

V12.-'lhe process Which comprises producing a catalyst by introducing a plurality of disks of copper gauze intofa copper tube, treating said disks to form a copper salt thereon, the treatment being, effected by acetic acid vapors and air, and then depositing the finely dividedreduced metal from said salt 'upon the same by igniting to form' an oxid from said salt and reducing the oXid with a current of hydrogen.

13. The process which comprises assembling, Within ai metallic tube and in heatconductive relationship therewith, a large number of permeable disks made of a metal susceptible of attack by acetic acid in the presence of oxygen, pas'sing acetic acid and an oxidizing gas through said tube to react with the -surfakce material thereof, partially decomposing in, situ the resulting acetate, and thereafter reducing z'fn, situ the product of such partial decomposition, to form a catalyzer. y ,l

In testimony that I llaii'n the foregoing I and. .i

ARTH R A. BACKHAUS. Witnesses:

JOHN P. GIscHEL, ARTHUR WRIGHT.- 

